When Phoebe was twelve, Lady Athenie became ill and bedridden, and by the time Phoebe was fifteen, her condition did not improve.

Madame Arten's illness came in a strange way, and she had always been in good health, but one morning she suddenly fainted at the table. She was asked to see a doctor, but the doctor couldn't find anything.

For the past three years, Mrs. Aseni has been in a half-asleep state, and when she is awake, she communicates normally, but most of the time, she is lying in bed, not knowing what she is muttering. Madame had a high fever for three days, and the Count took care of her on weekdays, and even more so when she was seriously ill. From the servants who served him personally, to the food and drink of Lady Atheni, the Count arranged it alone.

The Count sat at the head of Madame Athene's bed, and looked at her haggard face peeking out of the sheets, and could not help but burst into tears.

The Count of Shakma is the most affectionate man in the land. The way he takes care of Mrs. Arsenie today is reminiscent of the scene when he took care of Mrs. Chelsea years ago, and it is so nuanced.

Phoebe and Angelo would go to Lady Athene's room every day to talk to her and make her happy, but the strange illness showed no signs of getting better, but was getting worse and worse. Rumors began to spread in the town again that it was a witch's curse. Ten years ago, because of the unsolved disappearance, Lady Athenie was considered a witch. Ironically, ten years later, Lady Aseni contracted an incurable disease, and in rumors, she went from being a perpetrator to a victim.

People in the world never care about the truth, they only believe what they want to believe.

In the past three years, for some reason, the Earl and the Viscount's family have become closer. The Count had to take a carriage to the Viscount in ten days and a half months, and sometimes he would take Angelo with him. At this point, Angelo is extremely embarrassed, not knowing how to face his nominal father and his biological father at the same time. After all, Angelo still has a grudge against the Viscount's family, and if he can, he hopes not to deal with this family for the rest of his life.

Every time the Count and Angelo return from the Viscount's house, Phoebe would say that they had a strange smell on them. But in this house, this smell is not smelled by anyone except Phoebe.

Is it related to magic again? Angelo pondered. Strange things are always going on around Lady Athenie and Phoebe, and before they move to the town, there have been large-scale grave robberies in the town, and then groups of young girls suddenly disappear, and Lady Athenie has been seen going into the forest to perform strange rituals. Then the Count's illness miraculously cured, but he sealed off the basement for some unknown reason, and now Lady Athenie was sick again...... Although there is no connection between these things on the surface, it seems that someone planned it and did it deliberately.

"Phoebe, what did my father and I smell like when we returned from the Viscount's house?"

"It doesn't smell good, it's kind of like the smell coming out of the basement of your home."

Angelo's heart sank, and a sinful conjecture popped up in his mind. But soon, he dismissed the idea again. Because he loved his family, he didn't want to doubt anyone.

"Angelo, do you know why my mother went into the forest in the first place?"

"Why?"

Phoebe leaned into Angelo's ear, "I also recently heard from my mother, who told me when she was unconscious that she was trying to investigate the disappearance of the girl in town. Didn't the girls go into the forest before they disappeared? My mother wanted to see it, but she found that the smell of the forest was very strange, so she drew a circle to find the source of the smell. But I didn't find it, and I was seen......"

"Phoebe, what other magic do you and your mother have?"

"I don't know." Phoebe shook her head. "My mother wanted me to get rid of being a witch, so she didn't teach me. She hadn't used magic herself in years. ”

"Do you think your mother will know what's in the basement of the house?"

"I asked her before, and she said that the basement was protected by something, so she couldn't peek further into what's inside."

The suspicions planted in Angelo's heart in the early years sprouted at this moment, ready to move, ready to go.

"Phoebe, is there any magic that can bring people back to life?"

"Well...... There should be. Phoebe wasn't so sure, either. I've heard some elves say it, but they don't know it very well. Ed wouldn't tell me...... Angelo, what do you ask these for? ”

"Nothing, just curious."

Angelo's suspicion grew more and more inflated, and he couldn't help but feel guilty.

"Phoebe, do you trust your father?"

"I believe it."

Phoebe blurted out almost without any thought.

Looking at Phoebe's determined eyes, Angelo kept comforting herself, she should have thought too much.

Why do you doubt your father? Angelo cursed herself. Obviously, my father cares about his family as well.

In Angelo's recollections, the kind Earl only said heavy words to him, one was that he did not cry on the day of Madame Chelsea's death; The second is that he didn't take good care of Phoebe when he was a child, so Phoebe fell from a tree; The last time, when Lady Artenie was seriously ill, Angelo changed her recipe without permission. These three times are because of his family, and in the earl's heart, family is irreplaceable.

On Phoebe's fifteenth birthday, the Count threw a banquet at his home, inviting almost everyone with a face.

Although Phoebe doesn't usually attend social occasions, her interests and hobbies are far from those of celebrities. But in the end, Phoebe is also a noble lady, and sooner or later she will have to learn to socialize for the sake of marriage. The fifteenth birthday party is an opportunity to meet the children of the aristocracy.

At the banquet, the Count took Angelo and Phoebe around to greet him. The high heels wore out Phoebe's feet, and Phoebe endured the pain and walked cautiously for fear of being discovered. But even if you can fool others, you can't fool Angelo. As soon as Phoebe took a step, Angelo could see that something was wrong with her. He found an excuse and led Phoebe to the side to rest.

Phoebe sat on a stool, quietly took off her shoes, and turned her ankles. Angelo sat by her.

"Sure enough, Angelo was the best for me." Phoebe grinned, not at all reserved as a noble lady.

"So many people, pay a little attention today." Angelo whispered.

At this moment, the dance party begins, and the young boys begin to invite the girls of their hearts to dance together.

"Angelo, you don't have to accompany me, you can go dance."

"I don't like to dance." Angelo laughed.

"Don't lie to me, I know you dance well."

"Instead of thinking about what I'm going to do, think about yourself. It's up to me to decide whether I jump or not. But you are the protagonist of today's banquet, and there will definitely be many boys who will invite you later, and your feet are like this, how can you jump? ”

"That's right!" Phoebe is an afterthought. "I think if I take a little rest, I should be able to dance."

"There are a lot of people here today, you can see first, who do you want to dance with."

"It's not up to me to decide." Phoebe tilted her head, "I'm a girl, I can't invite a man to dance." ”

"You're my proud sister, who wouldn't want to dance with you?" Angelo smiled, full of pampering.

Yes, Phoebe is fifteen years old, at a young age. The body is well-proportioned and the face is good. Those royal blue eyes are breathtaking, and it is unforgettable when you see them. The long blonde hair exudes a charming magic. The goose egg face is still a little childish, which adds a bit of cuteness to her.

"Father has been looking for a fiancée for you, Angelo has a girl he likes?" Phoebe sat on a stool, shaking her legs.

"Nope."

"It's a shame." Phoebe lowered her head, blonde hair blocking her view. "Angelo can also take a look at the girls at the banquet tonight."

"If I have a girl I like, I'll definitely invite her to dance."

Sure enough, as Angelo expected, the boys found Phoebe in the corner and kept inviting her to dance. Phoebe made a crying face at Angelo, then turned to a polite smile and entered the dance floor.

After a few songs, it was finally time to rest, and Phoebe hurried back to Angelo's side to rest.

"I'm exhausted." She grumbled as she straightened her gloves. "It's my birthday, but I'm going to suffer. The guests who came were all friends of my father's, and I couldn't refuse...... Angelo, how many dances did you dance? ”

"I didn't jump." Angelo seemed to be deliberately angry with Phoebe, and he replied, in fact, to tell the truth.

"I'm so envious of you."

"Why don't I take you out to breathe? Get out secretly and you won't be discovered. ”

Phoebe grabbed the straw and nodded frantically. She couldn't hold it anymore, and when the break was over and the ball started again, she certainly didn't have the strength to continue dancing.

Angelo led Phoebe around the back of the room and slipped out quietly.

Once outside, Phoebe took a deep breath. She still prefers nature to the splendor of the interior. Every plant and tree outdoors touched Phoebe, and the fresh air refreshed her, like a new life.

The moon was large, hanging high in the sky, and the golden glow and Phoebe's hair were in harmony. She opened her hands, embraced nature, embraced the moon. Angelo stared at Phoebe, as if she had seen Artemis's moving form.

I want to dance with her.

I want to dance with the girl in front of me.

The idea broke through the ground.

"Phoebe, are you still tired?"

"Still a little tired, what's wrong?"

"Not really."

Angelo put away the thoughts.

In the past, at Christmas, Angelo went to the city to carefully select all kinds of sweets and then carefully packaged them. But on Christmas Day, Phoebe receives a lot of candy from the elves and eats it until she has a toothache. Angelo put away the gift she had prepared, and smiled and said that she had forgotten to prepare.

Every time, Angelo never wanted to let her care become a burden to Phoebe.

If I have a girl I like, I will definitely invite her to dance.

Angelo stared at Phoebe and suddenly realized that she had never taken her eyes off Phoebe.

Stupid, only now realized. Angelo laughed at herself.

If I meet a girl I like, I don't necessarily tell her.

Love is like this, before it came, it was full of courage and vows. But after the real arrival, the soldiers were in chaos and at a loss.